"You still love him."

Khushi turn around in shock. Rajiv is standing behind her with crossed arms.

"What?"

"Your heart is with him, not here." He declares firmly.

Khushi gulps in nervousness. Her eyes roams in different angle to avoid meeting his eyes.

"You're helpless seeing him lying on the hospital bed."

"Wh..at are you saying? Nothing like that. I.. I feel sleepy..." She took a step to run away from the situation.

"You're doing the same mistake again. Running away from the problems. Running away from your own feelings."

She stilled in her place as he continues to speak.

"You want to be with him, beside him, aren't you?"

She thinned her lips to refrain herself from sobbing loudly.

"You aren't angry with him like you're presenting yourself."

"S..top... it." She says amidst of her myriad of emotions.

"You are guilty."

"YES.. I AM GUILTY. Guilty for ignoring his pleads. Guilty for leaving him. Is it enough now?." She shouts by breaking plethora of emotions.

She slouches down on the sofa, cupping her mouth, sobbing harshly. Rajiv sit beside her and put his hand on her head.

"Let it out Khushi. You can't suppress it more."

She sobbed nearly half an hour before lifting her puffy eyes to see him.

"I can't see him like this. He.. He is a man of arrogance and power. There isn't a day, I didn't curse him for the same. But now he isn't anything, I know him. He... His eyes always mirror his mind whereas his words always conveys his facade. Now... I don't know how to take this. From the start we're always Tom and Jerry. We used to fight on each and everything. Infact we would find new reasons to fight. It took long, too long to accept that I started to like him. Same with him. He isn't a person who's vocal about his feelings. But his eyes gives way to all. Amidst of all the fights, we started to admit there is something between us. That something brought us together during jiji wedding. He was so nice, much more like my prince charming, I dreamt of. I was almost sure, we would end up together soon. But never thought that would be due to contract marriage. I thought he wrote the message on the mirror and gone to terrace. I was waiting for his proposal. I thought that would be the best day on my life which turned out to be the worst at the end of the day. Worst that still it pains. The prince charming took a back seat. Our lives changed drastically. The intensity of hate manifolds from his end. Apart from that, family also not supportive. Everything crushed my dreams. Still, I lived the hell and made his hell to by doing all the things he hate. One day he revealed the reason behind our contract marriage.

I was devastated. The person I thought loves me was the one who thought so low of me. It broke me much than his contract marriage. He didn't even once thought to ask my side of story. He directly jumped into conclusion. Still, I tolerated him and tried to prove my innocence. But... Kidnapping happened. He confessed his feelings for the first time and that was the last time too. Shyam was thrown out, di was broken. He turned soft towards me like those time in jiji wedding rituals. Seems like devimaaiyaa was not happy with my happiness. On the same night, he dragged me to poolside and shouted right on my face that I am biggest mistake of his life. How can he? I... Words would be less, If I want to express my grief. That was the last straw. My belief broken on the term love. I realised I WILL NEVER BE HIS PRIORITY, NOR I HAVE ANY RESPECT IN HIS LIFE. It's not like I want his di place. As a wife, at least I can expect pure love from my husband right. But all he gave was accusations and insults from the start even before marriage and even after his confession. I realised Beast and Angels will end up together in stories only.

And another thing also happened. Jiji saw him when he labelled me as his biggest mistake. She instantly dragged me out from there and stopped only at buaji house. Everything was out before everyone. Like everytime, he realised his mistake only after that. He run towards me with his innumerous apologies. But nothing reduced the pain in my heart. I didn't expect him to act like a prince charming, but a normal husband who loves his wife and give respect to her. I didn't get both. I was always his punch bag. Whenever he was frustrated he'll lash out on me. I was..."

"We only show our true self with our loved one's khushi. He can show his all emotions only with you. Unlike women, men's don't know how to tackle their frustrations and keep themselves grounded. I am not saying, he's right. I am just stating the common fact." Rajiv intervenes her lengthy flashback.

"You're not like that Rajiv." She says with a small smile.

"That's because you didn't know me well."

Khushi instantly snaps her head at him. She give a guilty look and continues to speak.

"Buaji and amma never let him near me. Many times he tried to convince me and called me. I avoided totally. At one point in anger, I told him to not show his face. That was the last day I saw him before today. I truly didn't want to say that word. In my hurt, I spilled those words and he chose to follow my words unlike earlier times.

In between this di miscarriage happened and she went into trauma. I joined in the school and met you. After that you know, after an year di and jiji encouraged me to move on when you proposed for the marriage...

Di, even though she wished to see me as her sister-in-law, encouraged me to move on. She did not want me to spoil my life for her brother whom she considered as a culprit like Shyam. Everyone compared him to Shyam. Both destroyed our life for their own purposes. I wanted some peace from everything. I am not ready to marry nor I wished to go back to him. But... somehow, di and jiji convinced me or to say brainwashed me. They used to say that, divorce is not the end. We should not accept his flaws always. In a spur of moment, I agreed which I regret till now. I thought all my pain will reduce, if I concentrate on moving on. But I was so wrong.

I, not only destroyed arnavji but also your life. The moment you tied that nuptial thread on my neck, I realised what I wanted. Perhaps, if we done all the rituals than opting for simple temple marriage, I would've realised my need for him long back. I needed nothing but wanted to go back to him. I wanted to scold him and wanted him to run behind me with his puppy sorry face. I wished to enjoy all my moments with him. But it was late. So late!!! For the first time Khushi Kumari Gupta didn't heard her heart, much like him and destroyed your life.

I realised, why he acted impulsive on seeing me with Shyam. I realised his feelings behind his actions.

But never once, I thought this all could be avoided if I informed about Shyam earlier. If we're right on hiding truth from Raizada's for jiji sake, then he's right on saving his sister life. It's that I paid the price for hiding the truth. In the name of giving Shyam a chance, we didn't realise we let di to live in fake world and let him to live peacefully when I and arnavji had gone through hell. How wrong it was? Di has right to know about her husband, aren't she? Who're we to decide what's good for her? She's own individual right. Today I realised that. When I came to know arnavji health condition, I felt immense anger on them. How can they hide this from me? Ain't I deserved to know? But didn't I done the same in Shyam matter. Everyone says I am perfect. How can I be, when I done two major sins? One hiding Shyam truth and another destroying your life. I am Flawed too."

"Why did you said we've future then?"

"I... All his words came back with the force and I hate to re-live the moment."

"You was instigated just by the memory, then think about him Khushi. With my knowledge, I can say he's impulsive. Humans and flaws are inseparable. Some humans do ingenious sins and some do rectifying mistakes. Big or small, everyone has flaws. It's upto you to choose what you want. Just like you, he has own set of complaints on you. One cannot be perfect. We do mistakes and we do learn from it. As far as he's concerned, he seems to be the one who learns from mistake. Give him a chance, if not for him, atleast for you. You deserve happiness, your happiness lies in him."

"Rajiv.." Khushi looks at him in surprise.

"What? I know the day we married, you're not still out of your first love that's why I didn't question you when you chose separate room for yourself. And... I didn't register our marriage for the same reason. You didn't need to go through the extra painful process of divorce. Go back to him. You both deserve each other."

"Rajiv... But..."

"Tell me honestly, did you felt bad when he broke your mangalsutra?"

Khushi nods as no guiltily "How do you know?"

"That's not matter. Go Khushi.."

"Thank you." Khushi shared a friendly hug and next moment they heard a thunderous shout.

"KHUSHI.."

There stood Arnav Singh Raizada on his full glory, spitting fire through his eyes.

____

P.S: Just two more shots to reach the end of this story. Hope you're enjoying this series.